Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-11
A FRENCH MAGICIAN.

Inc Compile Gle calnU-Uefmaln one
day related that he had been on friend
" terms with Pontius Plate at Jeru-
salem. He very infinitely described
tne house of the Roman governor, and
said what dishes had been served at
table the evening he supped at his
Nlace The Cardinal de Rohan turned
10 the comte's valet, an elderly, gray
headed man with frank" open cOun-
tenance:
'sMy friend" he said, II have some
difficulty in crediting what your master
says That he should be 1000 years
old and have seen Pontius PLATE is
rather strange. Come, tell me, were
YOU there also?"
Il? Oh, dear, no, Monseigneur."
candidIy replied the valet, that was
before my time. | have not, as yet,
been over 400 years in Monsieur lie
Comte's service"
The conversation then fell on Nine.
d'Esnermeuil, whereupon the Comte
de Saint-Germain, full of verye and
prattle, disclosed the following as yet
unpublished facts concerning the in
cident which brought about the lady's
arrest and subsequent execution:
"Mme. d'Esnermeun," said the
comte, ''was the most beautiful woman
in Paris. She was u widow, and very
fond of meat least | thought so. [
received more than one love misSive
from her, and passed many pleasant
evening in her charming villa at Yer
sailles.
Zone day she sent me very grace
fully-turned epistle inviting me to
ball which was to take place the same
evening at her villa. The handsome
widow begged me to appear i'll my
most elegant costume to enhance the
brilliancy of the fete.
Il felt much tlattered by this request
and tried my best to comply with it.
You may believe me when [ say that |
looked tritle younger then than | do
now.
Il put on my apple-green dress coat,
which fitted me perfectly; each button
on it was diamond worth 1000 louis.
The pearls that adorned my hat could
not have been purchased for 10000
louis. | may have represented l, 000,-
got into my state carriage. Five
lackeys attended, two leading the way
with torches. We soon reached the
villa of my lovely lady friend at Yer
sailles.
4 was surprised on arriving to find
nearly all the windows dark, and no
appearance of ball. / inquired of
the porter if Nine. d'Esnermeuil was
at home. He answered in the affirma-
tive, and asked me to enter.
Il found the lady alone. She APP
peared as much amazed to see me as |
was not to find company.
'''Comte, said she, to what do I
owe the pleasure Of your visit?
Gas invited come to your ball.
Impossible, Comte, you have mis-
taken the day
81 never mistake
''And took the invitation from my
pocket and showed to Mime. d'Esner-
mruil."
"'You are right, she said at last,
the error is mine. Pray excuse me,
Comte, and do me the honor to stay to
supper with me.
But you know, madam, that 1
never eat anything.
"'But you drink. [ have delicious
Corinth wine; you must taste it.
The handsome widow handed me a
glassful. 1t was not mistrust-people
are not suspicious when in love-but
an old habit which induced me to take
hold Of the glass with my left hand,
on the middle finger of which | wore
a talismanic ring that King Schlomo-
the same you call SOlomon-had given
me. On the under side of the ring
was an abraXas or Basilidian stone,
with gnostic inscription, and hardly
had it touched the crystal surface than
the glass was shattered into a thou
sand pieces.
The precious wine from Corinth,
which my lady friend had offered me,
was poisoned! at once l saw as
clearly through the whole thing as if |
had looked into magic mirror. But
the more embarrassed the lady became
the more free / felt, and the more I'M
restrainedly l continued to chat l
heard the rumble of carriage start
ing from the door. Was it my own
which had been ordered away?
mime. d'Esnermeuil noticed that !
lent an attentive ear to the noise of
the wheels as the carriage receded in
the distance. She said, with some
confusion:
'''It is my old uncle who ro.urns to
Paris.
Il knew better. L was my car
riage, which had been sent away by 4
lady's maid; the coachman and SER
wants were ordered to come for me at
10 o'clock the next morning. The
lovely widow soon cot so confused that
she could hardly speak. | heard =
noise in the corridor, followed by the
heavy tread of men. Madam turned
pale, and rose in hurry to leave the
room.
".You would not leave me, dearest?'
said /, without further concern.
''She stammered:
's'Excuse me, comte. My presence
is required elsewhere. | shall come
back presently